Friday, November 19, 2010

gilt

I picked out a little gilt tonight. A farmer here in Cambridge was selling them for a song. Tomorrow I'll bring into the barn a 9-week-old yorkshire piglet. She'll stay here just a few months really (as my books say they'll reach slaughter weight in 90 days). and by early spring she'll be inside the house (in the freezer). I'm planning on splitting the animal between me and some friends, and it should be quite the experience and actually make a few bucks for the farm. Tomorrow morning I'll prep a pen in the barn and then by 2pm she'll be alseep on a bed of straw.

24 Comments:

I heart piglets. She'll need lots of straw and maybe a heat lamp from your brooder pen. And if you can't find her in the morning, check the straw thoroughly. . .I had a friend once "lose" her three tiny pigs, only to find them burrowed in deep!

For years I've wanted to get a pork belly and make my own bacon. I've got a huge smoker and a bad weakness for bacon. Recently I checked with a local farm and they wanted 13 bucks a pound for a belly. Sadly, I passed. Have fun with it!!!

Can't wait to follow this, Jenna! This is something I've wanted to do for a while...Next week we'll be stocking our freezer with 350 lbs of grass-fed Angus beef. Maybe after eating that, I'll be able to talk my husband into pigs.

Good that your pen is solid because piglets can squeeze out of anything. If you thought a goat was bad to keep penned well a piglet is much worse. As far as naming, don't or it will be harder to eat her. If you must then name her bacon or chorizo, some name that won't let you forget she is meat on the hoof. It's easy to get attached to a single pig because she will demand attention from you because she is lonely.

I have been wanting to get a pig, too. I've been told they eat more and grow better if there are two. The competition, you know.

If my friend Mike would just quit driving around the US in a truck and come over and build me a "waller" I would give it a go. Lately the goat milk is not much good to drink anyhow since we got a buck onsite.

Soooo jealous! I want a pig, but my hubby is still warming up to the fact that we have chickens. I *think* I have him talked into getting a turkey poult in the spring, just one, for Thanksgiving. Our oldest son was begging him for a pig the other day, and hubby said "Caden (my son), it took your mother years to talk me into getting chickens. We are not getting a pig." and then under his breath muttered "yet". Caden and I did a jig together, all in favor of the word yet. It was great. I can't wait to hear all the stories surrounding the raising of your pig, Jenna.

but only if you promise to slaughter them at the same time. they are incredibly smart and social creatures. that said, i do understand that they are food for you.

still though, you wouldn't allow one of your dogs to be penned up, alone and not given that which your dog needs in order to be happy, would you? regardless of how tragically short their lives would be...

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About Me

The blog of author Jenna Woginrich of Cold Antler Farm. Jenna is a 33-year old full time writer. She writes about her adventures following her dream life as a homesteader, archer, falconer, equestrian, hunter, spinner, and low-rent cook. Follow along, it never gets boring!